Strumigenys spp (3 spp near carinithorax)

Dacetini, Myrmicinae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Insecta, Arthropoda, Animalia

John T. Longino, The Evergreen State College, Olympia WA 98505 USA. longinoj@evergreen.edu

25 July 1997

Identification

Mandible somewhat bowed; apical fork of mandible without intercalary tooth; mandible usually with two preapical teeth or denticles, a proximal one near mandibular midlength, and a distal one about half way between proximal tooth and apical fork; proximal tooth may be greatly reduced or absent; gaster smooth with strong basal costulae; gaster with erect setae either distinctly spatulate or weakly thickened.

Head width 0.373mm, head length 0.475, mandible length 0.272, CI 79, MI 57 (n=1 specimen from La Selva Biological Station, Costa Rica).

Bolton has identified the material on which this page is based as three different new species. One of them is known from one specimen from the Osa Peninsula (Rancho Quemado), the other two have multiple collections each, from La Selva and vicinity. Species accounts distinguishing the three await further information from Bolton.

Range

Costa Rica (Atlantic and southern Pacific lowlands).

Natural History

Brown and Wilson (1959) summarize the genus as follows:

"Widespread in tropics and warm temperate areas. Primarily forest-dwelling; some species occur in grassland and arid scrub. ... Nests mostly in soil and rotting wood; a few species live in arboreal plant cavities in tropical rain forest. Foraging hypogaeic to epigaeic-arboreal. Food: most species are collembolan feeders; a few are polyphagous predators or occasionally feed on sugary substances..."

These species occur in lowland wet forest, in leaf litter on the forest floor.

Selected Records

Winkler and/or Berlese samples from La Selva, Braulio Carrillo National Park at 300m, Osa Peninsula (Rancho Quemado).

Literature Cited

Brown, W. L., Jr., Wilson, E. O. 1959. The evolution of the dacetine ants. Quarterly Review of Biology 34:278-294.

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